IAF to trial American F-16, Swedish Gripen for 120-jet Make in India project to replace MiGs

The Indian Air Force will hold limited trials of the American F-16 and Swedish Saab Gripen fighter aircraft for selecting the foreign partner to build 120 combat planes under the Make in India project.
The total worth of the deal is estimated to be around $20 billion (Rs 1.3 lakh crore).
IAF sources said the two planes had undergone extensive trials seven years ago when the IAF was evaluating aircraft for buying 126 mediummultirole combat aircraft (M-MRCA).

"We have chosen the two planes based on evaluation done by us seven years ago. For the Make in India project, we will now hold trials of only those capabilities which they were found to be lacking in these aircraft in those days," an IAF officer told Mail Today.
Sources said during the M-MRCA trials, the F-16 was not selected as it was found that there was no potential for developing the aircraft further while the Saab Gripen did not have advanced radar called AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array), which was mandatory requirement in that project.

In any case, going by the LCA experience, it will be 20 years before this 120-jet can be inducted into the IAF._________________I don't know which is the more pampered bunch : AI's widebodies (the aunties) or Jet's widebodies (the planes).
-Jasepl

Which MiG are they talking about replacing here?
The -21, -23, -25, -27 or the -29?

Still the -21, Sir.
The -23s have been retired (the SM series), the -25s have been retired, the -27s will be retired soon, and the -29s will remain in front-line combat for quite some time. The uprated and upgraded Mig-21 Bisons will also remain for quite some time. The earlier types will be retired. The LCA Tejas rate of induction and production will be a bit slow, and a proven (though older) plane will possibly build up numbers, which we badly need. One expects more private parties to take some of the mantle here.
[quote=The_Goat"]In any case, going by the LCA experience, it will be 20 years before this 120-jet can be inducted into the IAF.[/quote]Unlike the LCA Tejas, this is a proven technology. The F-16 is a late 1960s-early 1970s design (of course, suitably modernised), whereas the Gripen is a late 80s design. An AESA may be post-fitted to the Gripen.
Cheers, Sumantra.

In a major boost to indigenous defence production to become self-reliant in the defence sector, Lockheed Martin today inked an agreement with Tata Advanced Systems to produce F-16 fighter jets in India.
The F-16 Block 70 is ideally suited to meet the Indian Air Force's single-engine fighter needs and this unmatched US-Indian industry partnership directly supports India's initiative to develop private aerospace and defense manufacturing capacity in India.
This F-16 production partnership between the world's largest defense contractor and India's premier industrial house provides India the opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft, the newest and most advanced version of the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter.
The announcement comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Washington for a first meeting with US President Donald Trump scheduled for June 26.
India and the United States have built a close defence relationship in recent years with Washington emerging as among the top three arms suppliers to India, along with Russia and Israel.
India will also have the chance to export the F-16 that is flown by air forces around the world, a joint statement issued by the two companies said.
"This unprecedented F-16 production partnership between the world's largest defense contractor and India's premier industrial house provides India the opportunity to produce, operate and export F-16 Block 70 aircraft, the newest and most advanced version of the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter," the statement said.
F-16 production in India also supports thousands of Lockheed Martin and F-16 supplier jobs in the US, creates new manufacturing jobs in India, and positions Indian industry at the center of the most extensive fighter aircraft supply ecosystem in the world.
"Our partnership significantly strengthens the F-16 'Make in India' offer, creates and maintains numerous new job opportunities in India and the US, and brings the world's most combat-proven multi-role fighter aircraft to India, the statement said.
With more than 4,500 produced and approximately 3,200 operational aircraft worldwide being flown today by 26 countries, the F-16 remains the world's most successful, combat-proven multi-role fighter ever produced. The F-16 Block 70 is the newest and most technologically advanced F-16 ever offered.